This is my favorite story of the day. In February, the governor shot a coyote on a jogging trail while he was out exercising with his daughter's dog.

Here are the essentials.

Perry told The Associated Press on Tuesday he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries while jogging to take down a coyote that menaced his puppy during a February run near Austin.

Perry said he will carry his .380 Ruger -- loaded with hollow-point bullets -- when jogging on trails because he is afraid of snakes. He'd also seen coyotes in the undeveloped area.

When one came out of the brush toward his daughter's Labrador retriever, Perry charged.

I have no problem at all with the governor carrying the weapon. He's licensed. It's legal. No issue there. What I do find odd is how much weapon he was carrying because, as the story says, he's afraid of snakes. I am no expert at firearms, so I looked up a .380 Ruger. It's not a big gun, but doesn't it seem excessive to have the optional laser sight added to it and to load it with hollow point bullets if you are carrying it to watch out for snakes?